Toushiro
by SaphSoul
Summary: A little one-shot I decided to do after reading a certain bleach chapter.


This is a fic inspired after reading the chapter on Toushiro in the manga. Without further ado, please read on.

-Saph

* * *

_I dream of a plain of ice._

_And on that ice, I die._

_I wake from the dreaded nightmare, drenched in a cold sweat._

_The dreams were never that vivid, not when Momo was around._

_I dream of a plain of ice…_

_…I feel the presence of ice…_

_I hear a voice…_

_…an echoing voice…_

_…crushing…engulfing…_

_…resounding in the distance…_

_…just like thunder…_

"Shiro-chan!!" I wake from my nightmare to Momo's smiling face. "Get up and eat breakfast! It's my first day!!" She laughs and runs out of my room. One of these days I'm gonna get even with that girl.

"Bye! Shiro-chan!" Momo laughs as she ruffles my hair.

"Don't call me Shiro!" I snarl. My cool demeanor does nothing to her, she doesn't flinch, nor does she stop her gentle teasing. She is one of the only ones that doesn't do that, the other being Granny. I don't know why people are so afraid of me, I don't blame them though; who wouldn't be afraid of a white-haired, teal-eyed, short-tempered child? Some act like they aren't afraid, but the illusion drops after a while. Even my 'friends' are afraid of me. They shudder when I walk into the room; they flinch every time I look at them, and they run away every time I'm within three meters of them. That's why I like Momo and Granny, they don't run from me.

"I'll call you by name when you go to the same school as me!" She laughs.

"Like hell I will! There's no way I'm being a stinking shinigami!" I holler after her

"Bye! I'll be living in the dorms from now on, but I'll visit on holidays!" Her cheery voice rings though the entire yard as she runs to the exit.

"Don't bother, Momo, you stupid bed-wetter!" I shout at her. It is a childish act, I know that, but I don't want her to know how much it hurts me that she's leaving. She smiles as she waves goodbye.

Momo is becoming a Shinigami. As I watch her departing back I can't help but get depressed. It's as if part of my world is slipping away, on those small shoulders. Half of my world died that day.

That night, the first night without Momo I rest fitfully. It's the same dream again. The same sad, desolate place.

_I dream of a plain of ice…_

_…and on that ice…_

_…I die…_

* * *

"Anyways, that's why I think Aizen-taichou is the best! He single-handedly fought off an army of Huge Hollows!! But, he already has an assistant captain. Ooh! I wish I could become his assistant!!"

"Oh? I see."

It has been a few months since Momo left and she is back again today. She said she had a day off because of the catastrophic incidents of the real world. Like hell I believe that! She probably couldn't wait to get back, so she ditched class and came running back with her tail between her legs! Ha!

We sit together on the porch, eating our favorite food, watermelon. For the past hour or so Momo's been going on and on about her visit to the real world and how she was saved by this guy called Aizen. It's kinda annoying.

But, Momo seems really into this Aizen, so I'll listen to her ranting. He'd better not hurt her, I'll make him pay if he does that.

* * *

The sound of chirping birds is annoying. I must endure the irritating sound of many birds singing as I sit on the roof of our small hut.

It has been five years since Momo entered the Shinigami Academy. She comes by less and less nowadays, it seems like she's slowly, but surely, slipping away. She says she's found a goal for herself so she needs to practice and build her skills so she can one day achieve her goal. What her goal is, I don't know, but I just hope she will be happy. Momo's changing, she's growing up; and me, I haven't grown at all.

I keep having that same dream. Now the voice is stronger, yet I still can't make out what it's trying to tell me.

I jump from the roof, frustrated that I keep thinking about that dream.

"Granny! I'm gonna go buy some sweets!" I tell her as I run to the store.

The trip has more meaning then just going to the store, I run in hopes that I can maybe leave my thoughts behind, but they always catch me. Always plaguing my mind, making me feel so alone.

* * *

The storeowner drops the change on the counter, too afraid to even touch me. I scoop up the change, holding back the tears that are leaking from the corners of my eyes.

"HEY! Is that any way to treat a customer?!" A heavy blow is directed to my head as I fall over.

The woman with the whiny voice stands where I was not two seconds ago.

"That's no way to treat your customers! Dropping the change on the counter!! Honestly, how rude can you be?" The woman stares down the shopkeeper.

"And you!" She yells as she pulls me up by the collar. "Quit lying there crying, you're a boy, aren't you?" She snaps at me.

"I-I'M NOT CRYING!!" I scream at her. It is a lame response, I know that; it's childish, I know that; but those were the only words I could utter at such a lady.

* * *

_I dream of a plain of ice…_

_…and on that ice…_

_…I die…_

I wake to a face in front of me, much like it was with Momo five years ago.

"Hey!" It's the lady from before yells at me. She was the one that was staring at me.

"Y-you! W-what are you doing in my house?!" I cry out.

"You shouldn't leak your reiatsu everywhere. Now, get some rest. It looks like your grandma is freezing." The woman says.

I look to where she's indicating. There, lying on the cold floor is Granny.

_Cold?_ I feel the floor. It always seemed to be normal, but now I realize it's as cold as ice. I look at my arm; the skin is pale and frigid. _D-did I do this?! _I think to myself. I suppress the urge to scream.

"Yes, you did this. That's why I said stop leaking your reiatsu everywhere." The woman states.

"W-what do I do?" I ask. I know that if something isn't done Granny will die.

* * *

"I'm going to that Shinigami school!" I say as I kneel before Granny. I hope she says no. I hope she keeps me here forever. Part of me wanted that. But I knew that if I stayed here, I would only hurt her. She must hate me as much as anyone else does, for all that I've done to her, I'm surprised she didn't kick me out. Her response in quite different from what I expected. She smiles softly, in that special way that she only does for Momo and me.

"If that's what you want, go ahead. An old granny like me has no right to stop you youngsters from achieving your dreams." She smiles at me, and I feel my sight go blurry as my eyes fill with tears. I run to her, briefly dropping the cold demeanor that I had adopted. For that brief moment I become a little kid again as I hug her.

"T-Thank you, Granny!" I sob into her small shoulder. She smiles and chuckles, hugging me back.

"Great! Now that all that's taken care of, let's go!" The annoying woman states in her whiny voice as she grabs me by my collar and marches out the door. I hang there by the fabric of my yukata, staring back at the place that was, is, and will always be my home.

* * *

Inside the tenth division office Toushiro wakes. He sits up and realizes he's on the couch in the office. That's odd, he could have sworn he had fallen asleep doing paperwork. A slight rustling of papers snaps him to attention.

Matsumoto is behind the desk, sorting through paper after paper.

"Ah! Paperwork is so hard! I want to go out and have sake!" She whines. For once Toushiro smiles. She sees this.

"Taichou, is something wrong?" Matsumoto Rangiku's first reaction is to think her captain has lost it.

"It's nothing, Matsumoto." Toushiro whispers, still smiling. "I just dreamt of the past." Rangiku doesn't pry any further, she knows what her captain means. He hasn't visited home in quite a few years, a few centuries to be exact. Granny had died. She just couldn't live without little Momo and Shiro.

"I see. I guess it was a good dream." Matsumoto comments, smiling at her captain.

"Yeah." Toushiro looks at the woman seated at his desk. Her names is Matsumoto Rangiku, the lieutenant of tenth company, and the woman that brought him into this world. She is another of his homes now, one of the few people that can be around him without avoiding him like some deadly disease. She is one of the few people that doesn't whisper behind his back, or cringe when he stares at her. She acts no differently to him than she did all those years ago.

The End.

* * *

So? What do you think? I read the chapter on Toushiro manga, I think it's 305.5 or something. Either way, let me know what you think in a review.


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